Alejandra Benítez
| Alejandra Benítez | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 7 July 1980 Caracas, Venezuela | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 62 kg (137 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Fencing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weapon | Sabre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hand | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIE ranking | current ranking | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Alejandra Benítez Romero (born 7 July 1980) is a Venezuelan sabre fencer, who competed at the 2004, 2008, 2012 and the 2016 Summer Olympics.[1][2] She was minister of sports in 2013
Sports career
Benítez was born in a popular parish AntímanoCaracas district. She began fencing accidentally at the age of fifteen years old on the suggestion and good reference of one of her aunts, who knew coach Hildemaro Sánchez at the Central University of Venezuela.[3] The national Venezuelan team trained in the same fencing hall, which inspired her to work hard to join them. Besides fencing, Benítez also practiced ballet, ornamentals jumper, judo, and a little bit of music, swimming and volleyball.[4]
In 1996 the younger Sportler joined the national junior team. With them she took part in the first
In the senior category she qualified to the
Political career
Benítez met in 1999 Hugo Chávez, who made a strong impression on her. She supported him in several elections and featured in a TV sport for his presidential campaign.[4] She also stood as honour guard at his funeral. On 22 March 2013 she was named Minister of Sports for the government of newly elected Nicolás Maduro. She was replaced by singer and ex-baseball player Tony Álvarez in the January 2014 government reshuffle.[7]
References
- ^ "2008 Summer Olympics Results". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 12 September 2008. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
- ^ Alejandra Benítez es la venezolana 33 en clasificar a Londres Archived 4 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Alejandra Benítez: sablista de oro" (in Spanish). Fundación Gigantes en Acción. 20 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
- ^ a b Ewald Scharfenberg (24 April 2013). "El sable más 'sexy' del chavismo". El País (in Spanish).
- ^ Richard Alfredo Contreras (27 April 1999). "Ganar el Mundial fue la meta". El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
- ^ a b c "Alejandra Benitez Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
- ^ "Venezuela's Maduro appoints new ministers in gov't reshuffle". 10 January 2014.
External links
- Alejandra Benítez at the International Fencing Federation
- Alejandra Benítez at Olympedia
